Dublin city centre pubs to see fewer butts

Three Dublin pubs claim to have come up with an ingenious way of tackling the problem of cigarette butts.

These butts threaten to be a major environmental problem under the proposed ban on smoking in the workplace.

But the Henry Grattan, Larry Murphy's and Maguire's on Baggot Street plan to install cigarette butt disposal units as part of the their outdoor seating areas to facilitate smokers.

The device, which is the brainchild of Dublin inventor Mr Adrian Power, extinguishes lit cigarettes as they are placed on its holding compartment.

The unit is able to be wiped clean with a cloth and "keeps unsightly cigarette debris firmly out of sight", the publicans claim. The three bars have already purchased a number of the units and plan to install them alongside their outdoor seating.

Bar Manager at The Henry Grattan Mr Neil Doherty says; "Whether we like it or not, it seems as though this smoking ban is coming in."

"The very least we can do is protect our customers — If they stub their cigarette out on the street then they're facing a fine of €125," Mr Doherty says.

The initiative has been commended by the Minister for Environment, Mr Martin Cullen, himself a smoker.

Cigarette butts take on average 12 years to fully bio-degrade and can be harmful to wildlife which see them as food.

Over two million butts are dropped on the capital's streets annually and the problem is likely to be exacerbated when the ban on smoking in the workplace is implemented.